Citation and License

BMC Neuroscience 2012, 13:104
doi:10.1186/1471-2202-13-104

Published: 24 August 2012

Abstract

Background

The peri-adolescent period is a crucial developmental moment of transition from childhood
to emergent adulthood. The present report analyses the differences in Power Spectrum
(PS) of the Electroencephalogram (EEG) between late childhood (24 children between
8 and 13 years old) and young adulthood (24 young adults between 18 and 23 years old).

Results

The narrow band analysis of the Electroencephalogram was computed in the frequency
range of 0–20 Hz. The analysis of mean and variance suggested that six frequency ranges
presented a different rate of maturation at these ages, namely: low delta, delta-theta,
low alpha, high alpha, low beta and high beta. For most of these bands the maturation
seems to occur later in anterior sites than posterior sites. Correlational analysis
showed a lower pattern of correlation between different frequencies in children than
in young adults, suggesting a certain asynchrony in the maturation of different rhythms.
The topographical analysis revealed similar topographies of the different rhythms
in children and young adults. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) demonstrated the
same internal structure for the Electroencephalogram of both age groups. Principal
Component Analysis allowed to separate four subcomponents in the alpha range. All
these subcomponents peaked at a lower frequency in children than in young adults.

Conclusions

The present approaches complement and solve some of the incertitudes when the classical
brain broad rhythm analysis is applied. Children have a higher absolute power than
young adults for frequency ranges between 0-20 Hz, the correlation of Power Spectrum
(PS) with age and the variance age comparison showed that there are six ranges of
frequencies that can distinguish the level of EEG maturation in children and adults.
The establishment of maturational order of different frequencies and its possible
maturational interdependence would require a complete series including all the different
ages.